Posted on 02/07/2005 6:39:13 AM PST by presidio9
IRAQ'S Shiite leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and another senior cleric last night set out radical demands that Islam be the sole source of legislation in the country's new constitution.
The shock Shiite move came after Iraq's leading Sunni clerics group yesterday demanded a timetable for the withdrawal of US-led forces as a condition for joining talks on a new constitution. After a leading Shiite cleric issued a statement setting out the position on sharia law, Ayatollah Sistani, the spiritual leader of Iraqi Shiites, made it clear he backed demands for the Koran to be the basis of legislation.
The national assembly set up after last month's US-backed election is to oversee the drawing up of the new constitution. The role of Islam has been at the centre of a dispute between the rival parties and the US-led occupation authority that administered Iraq until last June.
Ayatollah Sistani leads the five most important clerics, known as Marja al-Taqlid, or sources of emulation, who had shown a more moderate face going into the election.
The surprise statement was issued by Sheikh Ibrahim Ibrahimi, a representative of Ayatollah Mohammad Ishaq al-Fayad, a member of the marja. "All the ulema (clergy) and marja, and the majority of the Iraqi people, want the national assembly to make Islam the source of legislation in the constitution and to reject any law that is contrary to Islam," the statement said.
"We warn against a separation of the state and religion, because this is completely rejected by the ulema and marja and we will accept no compromise on this question."
A source close to Ayatollah Sistani said the spiritual leader backed the demand.
The role of Islam was a sticking point when the interim constitution was drawn up under the US-led occupation.
After acrimonious debate and the threat of a veto by US administrator Paul Bremer, the final version completed last March said Islam should be "a source" of legislation.
No law that "contradicts the universally agreed tenets of Islam" would be accepted, the final draft of the "fundamental law" stated.
Following talks with UN special envoy Ashraf Qazi, the Sunni Committee of Muslim Scholars said it would take part in drafting a new constitution only if a date were agreed for US-led troops to leave the country.
"We told him (Mr Qazi) we had conditions and that we would discuss them with the parties that boycotted the polls and would put forward a common stance," said committee spokesman Omar Ragheb.
"These demands focus on reaching a consensus with all political parties on the withdrawal of foreign forces."
The committee, which persuaded the main Sunni religious group, the Islamic Party, to boycott the election, indicated it would press Sunni insurgents to abandon their campaign of resistance if its demands were met.
Meanwhile, Italy tried to secure the release of a woman journalist kidnapped in Baghdad after an ultimatum was posted on an Islamist website giving Rome 72 hours to order a pullout of its 3000 troops.
And let them know that if just one terrorist is based in or comes from iraq we will nuke them out of existence. They've had their chance
"So we can go back in there in 20 years and have to do this crap all over again?"
In twenty years, you just might have to go only as far as your front yard to do battle with these people.
Who is Iraq the Model, and how the h-ll does he know?
Huge difference Judeo-Christian princilples value and promote life and individual freedom while islam values and promotes terrorism
islam is the enemy
"islam is the enemy"
Now where have I seen that before?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1222755/posts
No, we don't go in next time. We just bomb them to nothing. No more sacrifices for these beasts from hell.
Further, the Constitution must pass a referendum. I do not think a the psychotic Sharia law interpretation would pass a referendum AT ALL.
We need to make that CLEAR to them. If they choose to go to the extreme, all our money and men LEAVE them to fight and kill each other in the good holy way those Islamists always do. The level of insanity in that part of the world is flabbergasting. We would be condoned to bomb the Middle East to Kingdom Come it is such a hell hole.
Sharia Lawyers... now THERES an oxy-moron if I ever heard one..
You are correct, this has turned out to be a complete fiasco. They don't want freedom, they want islam. Democracy will not work in iraq.
EXACTLY! I read the same thing on "Iraq the Model" too.Omar was upset at first and then he said that he decided to wait for confirmation.
This should be a shock to no one
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